The music industry in Bollywood is peculiar. The primary income is through concerts, not just playback singing. Typically, a singer invests time and resources, releases a song or a few, and then ventures into concerts to get returns on investment. Guneet’s case has been different in that his earliest exposure was to concerts! A journey as interesting as it is unique; it shows how atypical the world of music is when compared to the industry that shares its name.
“There is no such thing as a first concert” says Guneet, “because usually, you grow up with school or college performances, singing karaoke with your friends, or in my case singing at the Gurudwara as well.” And an early exposure to the public has indeed served him well – people often underestimate the impact of the crowd in a concert. “Ultimately,” he says, “you have to earn your keep. Art for arts sake is a privilege. It matters how you sell your art, and that is your business. And that is the business I am in."
His background in classical music and early exposure to Gurbani has indeed served him well. With a keenly attuned sense of the nitty-gritties of music, Guneet is able to take the best of classic and modern pop. But when it comes to concerts, the bread and butter of a musician worth their salt, Guneet has a rather unique perspective. While most would feel trepidation and a knotted stomach, Guneet feels differently. “A concert is the place where it is just you and your audience. Nothing else is in the picture. You cannot depend on autotune, on technology and gimmicks to sell your act. It is you, your voice, your talent – completely naked in front of a thousand souls.” Yet, this daunting audience did not frighten Guneet even in his earliest of professional experience – rather it invigorated him and continues to do so even to this day. “The sheer joy on the faces of the audience, their happiness often to the verge of tears of joy, they are drunk upon the spirit of life itself – that makes it worth all the effort. I remember, when I first performed for a huge crowd, I was unafraid. I knew this was my calling, this was a moment I dreamt about, I fantasized about! How could I fear something I desired so much!” A truly refreshing outlook, a lesson for all – artist or not. “I was in a trance” he says, “All I cared was that I gave my best. It was like meditation to me. And Waheguru it continues to be so.”
But a good musician, or any artist for that matter, must be a good businessman. This truth is well understood by Guneet. “It is not just about what you do. It is about what you refuse. Kuch bhi chalana hai, bandh kamre me chala do. In the outside world, you must show your best. Music is art when I practice, or when I study. But when I take it outside, sell it to make money – it is business. You must know your limitations too. You need to look at minute details, choice of words, and pitch and tempo. And you also have to plan how to rotate and invest the money you earn! All of this is business. All of this requires acumen. And make no mistake, it is a team effort. One shouldn’t underestimate the efforts of the people behind the stage. Music itself is an art. But the music industry? That is business.”
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